Changes, Classes, Pictures

After my trip to Europe I came back with renewed vigor in life and how I deal with things. I was unsuccessful with finding a different job outside of retail. Luckily I did find a job a few months later at Last Call Neiman Marcus. It has been a great learning experience with highs and lows, which happens in most jobs. Those month without a job and a few months into my current job, I started thinking about my future. What do I want to do? What will support me? What will make me 90% happy (not 90% miserable)? I looked into a teacher certification program and even went to a orientation. I start freaking out about standing in front a class, the expectation of teaching young people, and my score of my SAT and ACT weren't high enough so I would have to retake them. 

It didn't feel right, did not sit well as a decision so I started thinking about what I liked. It had to be creative, doing something that makes me figure out problems and is always changing. At the end of college I made a decision to get out of college rather than try for graphic design. At my University 40 or so people apply and 20 or less get in each year. I was already a junior and wasn't going to graduate on time if I did that program I wouldn't have taken 2-3 more years after my graduation year of 2008. I choose a BFA in Art History because I could complete it as close to my graduation year as possible and at the time could have studied abroad, had the cost been right. The BFA didn't offer me a career I wanted or would be happy in, but it has allowed me to do these Associates degrees, rather than a 4-year degree because the profession looks for college experience, worked in many different medias, and is rounded overall.

Then I looked at ACC and the programs they had, talk to an ex co-worker who is in the graphics program and a friend of a friend who is a graphic designer to get some perspective. I also talked to an advisor on how to get in the program, looked at how to registrar myself into ACC, and scanned the classes I would be taking. All this was done intrinsically which is a good sign, for me anyways. As I was heading down this path it was the same feeling I had making the decision to travel to Europe. I knew I was going to right way. 

I finally decided to go back to school for two Associate degrees, one in Graphic Design and second in Web Design. They are closely linked with classes or 9 more to get the Web Design. In this job market it is good to be well rounded and it will allow me the opportunities of doing many things. 

I have taken in Spring 2012 Basic Graphic Design and a InDesign(digital publishing/layout) class. Those pictures will come in the next post. These past 11 weeks, Summer 2012, I was taking History of Communication Graphics and Digital Imaging 1(photoshop). There is no visual homework from History of Communication Graphics, but here are the ones from Digital Imaging 1.

First Project- We were given images and had to create a creature out of the tools and flowers. I came up with a Cocka-tool. I used a stem of a tulip repeated over for the background, The headdress is rack prongs, the face is a flower, the beak is petals of a tiger lily, the belly 2 shovel heads, the wings are tulip petals resized and repeated, the circles on top of the legs(knees) is a strainer, the feet are forks, and the tail is two white paint brush heads.

Second Project- We gathered images from the Internet and had to create Word Play, hence a pencil fish made out of pencils. The body and eye are made out of tips of pencils, the fins and ground are pencil shavings, and the background are different filters.

Third Project- We had to use out own images and to substitute a letter for an image. I did Traveling Europe with my Europe pictures, this has been the 1st project I used them. I made multiple variation with the area in the bottom left, which change from Don Quixote to Stonehenge to Underground symbols. 

Final project a Movie Poster- This also used our own images. I have a great family who participated with this. My brother Justin and Stephanie took pictures in France, which was especially nice. Then I had my dad, brother Matthew walking outside. I also got in the mix with Matthew taking my photo. I changed the title of the film from "The Way" to "Watt Way" a play on words with our last name. It is a good movie. We had to do three things for this final - we created a movie poster, then a greyscale advertisement for a newspaper, and final a website(not working).

(here is the original)

(here are mine)

Today was the last day of Summer 2012, on to Fall 2012 with Typography, Basic Illustration, Vector Graphics, and Design Concepts. Your guess is as good as mine on what it is about and what I will be doing that semester. Classes start August 27.

Blog coming soon...Basic Graphic Design...maybe InDesign (mostly worked from the book nothing independent).

As my email states and always inspires me to jump even if it is scary.

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed

by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

Explore. Dream. Discover.

I am exploring, dreaming, and discovering everyday.